Medium beast, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 4 (−3) | 12 (+1) | 6 (−2) |
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +3, Stealth +6 (+8 in snowy terrain)
Damage Resistances cold
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages — (communicates via sign language and rock messaging with other snow apes)
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Traits
Cornered Ferocity. When the snow ape has no clear escape route — surrounded, trapped in a dead end, or grappled — it fights with desperate intensity. While cornered, it has advantage on attack rolls and automatically succeeds on saving throws against the frightened condition. It will not willingly release a grapple while cornered, even if reduced to 1 hit point.
Pack Coordination. Snow apes in a group silently designate targets before combat using sign language. When two or more snow apes act on the same initiative count, each targets a different creature when possible. A snow ape has advantage on the Athletics check to initiate a grapple against a creature that was hit by a club attack from another snow ape this turn.
Snow Camouflage. While in snowy or arctic terrain, the snow ape has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Creatures that fail to detect the snow ape before it attacks are surprised on a roll of 1-4 on a d6 (rather than the standard 1-2) for the purpose of the surprise round.
Tenacious Grip. A creature grappled by the snow ape’s Crushing Hug cannot break free using the Escape a Grapple action alone — it must either succeed on a DC 14 Athletics or Acrobatics check as an action (not bonus action), or the snow ape must be reduced to 0 hit points or fail a Wisdom saving throw (see Morale Break). Dealing damage to the snow ape does not cause it to release the grapple.
Actions
Multiattack. The snow ape makes one Club attack and one Crushing Hug attack. If it already has a creature grappled, it instead makes one Club attack against the grappled creature (which has disadvantage on the Dexterity saving throw to avoid it) and deals automatic crushing damage.
Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Crushing Hug. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 14) and takes 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, takes 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the snow ape’s turns, and the snow ape cannot use Crushing Hug on another target.
Reactions
Morale Break. When the snow ape is reduced to half its hit points and is not cornered, it must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or immediately release any creature it has grappled and use its reaction to move up to its speed away from the nearest threat. On subsequent turns it uses the Dash action to flee until it has escaped or is cornered.
Encounter Notes
Snow apes assess prey before attacking and will not engage groups of five or more armed humanoids, creatures Huge or larger, or creatures displaying obvious magical capability. In winter or when hungry, reduce this threshold by one category. A party can deter an attack by throwing meat (DC 12 Animal Handling), displaying an obvious spell effect (triggers Morale Break save at disadvantage), or attempting basic sign language communication (DC 20 Intelligence check, DM adjudication).
